THE BEAUTIFUL PROXY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143766, 15 April 1912, Page 5

THE BEAUTIFUL PROXY

Dy R. MURRAY GILCHRIST.

Author of “The Gentle Thespians/ 5 “Lords and Ladies/ 5 “The Wonderful Adventures! 55 “Beggar’s Manor/’ “The Secret 'iontine. etc., etc. [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER XlV.—Continued. Lord Frederick bowed; Lady Caro*Sao entered the car a»d he followed, and soon they had passed out of the and were spinning along the flooded highway. After a fast run of about, a hundred miles, they stopped at an hotel a few miles on the nutter side of York. There ho insisted upon her drinking tea, although she protested anxiously against the wasting of a single minute. •‘Mr. Bretby’s house-—it is called Somercale Manor—is forty miles from here/ 5 she said “We must arrive before nightfall. Although Miss Edgeworth is the bravest girl I’ve ever met, she will bo almost mad with terror. 5 ' In less than two hours they reached the entrance of a neglected park, and the top of each grey gate pose- was surmounted by a recumbent leaden bull, . weirdly realistic in the waning light. A mumbling old woman came from the lodge armed with a great key.

“What d’ye wantr” she said sourly. “There’s nobody up at the house—not even as much as a caretaker.”

“Mr. Brotby’s there,” said Lady' Caroline. “We must see him at once. Open the gate.” “Haven't I told you as you’ll find the place empty?” said the crone. “This gate hasn't been undone for days.”

Lord Frederick alighted, and took the key from her hand. He unlocked the gate, forced it backwards, and the car passed into the pa tk. “ ’Tisn’t a bit of good,” groaned the keeper. “Seems to me you won’t listen to reason. I've gotten all the keys of the house here, and 1 can swear as nobody’s in.” He took a sovereign from his pocket, and dropped it into her wrinkled palm. ■ 1 You had better come and show us through the place,” he said. “Otherwise it may be necessary to call for police assistance.” The word “jiolice” intimidated the woman. “Eh dear,” she whined, “oh dear, there’s some mischief agate. Well, if you must see it, you must, though the master’ll be fit to murder me when he gets to know!”

* Lord Frederick unceremoniously bundled her into the car, and they drove through a wilderness up to the front of a vast, dilapidated house, half of whose windows were roughly boarded. s. They alighted beside the weedgrown terrace; the woman opened the door and bade them enter.

“ ’Tis so damp nowadays as nobody’ll stay there,” she said. “And there’s scarce more than three rooms furnished from garret to cellar. However, since you’re determined to see all, ’tisn’t for me to say you nay.” Twilight had fallen now; sho took a candlestick that lay on a windowsill, and' lighted the tallow dip. Then without a word, they followed her, looking.into every, room and assuring themselves that no human creature hud been inside the place for- months. Lady Caroline’s courage had failed after the first few minutes, and sho was glad of Lord Frederick’s arm.

“It’s -a rare ghostly spot,” cackled the dame. ‘‘Folks used to say in the days when ’twas inhabited as all sorts o’ queer noises were heard. As for myself, well 1 wouldn’t stop hero alone' after dark, not for a pillow-case full o’ gold guineas. A wild lot the Bret-, bys have been—there’s no gainsaying that.”

At last they returned again to the car. Lady Caroline was weeping silently; Lord Frederick begged her not to resign hope. “We shall surely find him,” ho said.

“After all, he was scarcely likely ,to come here. In all likelihood ho has some other place in this country. I’ll ask the woman; she’ll know.” Ho turner! to where the lodgekeeper had stood, but found that she had slipped away into the darkness. “She doesn’t mean to be questioned,” he said. “Perhaps it’s as well—she might have told us lies. The best thing we can do is to go to the village inn—if there is one near—and make inquiries of the landlord.” Watkins bad lighted the lamps; the car passed through to the highroad, and two miles farther was pulled up in front of a straggling, many-gabled inn. A stout and comely woman came from the porch, and quaintly enough bade them welcome.

CHAPTER XV. The tea Anne had drunk must have been drugged. She did not move from her, corner until long after darkness had fallen. The rain still fell heavily, and the country side was shrouded in mist. At Newcastle they were obliged to drive slowly; it was as they passed through this town that Anne’s consciousness returned in some vague manner. She saw the street lamps, the crowd of cloaked men and women. She had not the least knowledge of her whereabouts. Could this be London—her birthplace—the scene of her happiest days? Heavy sleep overcame her again; the next time she looked through the dimmed glass she could see nothing. Durham was passed with ite steep hills, and then the car ran on at top speed for twenty miles or so; then turned to the night at a small village, and made directly for the coast. Often Bretby took out his watch, and urged L’Angellier to lose no moment. “The crossing is risky at the best of times,” he said. “There's only one hour when it can bo done—at any rate with comfort. In half-an-hour we shall reach the shore.” “A good thing there aro no holes or water-courses,” remarked the Frenchman. “The darkness is growing so dense that one can almost feel it with both hands.” , “We must not lost sight of the stakes, L’Angellier. Although the sand is safe enough, if cue keeps to the track. By Jove! how salt the air smells; we must be getting near the beach.” They reached the top of a steep and roughly-kept lane that sloped sharply with many curves. The sound of the brakes aroused Anne; she lifted her arms and wiped the moisture from the window. The car stopped soon on level ground. In the light of the lamps she saw Bretby leave his seat and walk some yards in advance. Ho returned, opened the door, and thrust in his head. “Wo aro about to have an adventure, my dear Sylvia,” ho said. “Don’t be frightened, there's really no need.” “Whore are we?” she cried. “Where are you taking mo?” ■‘No matter; you’ll know soon enough. If you ge.t alarmed, you may be certain that 1 shall attend to your safety. Your life is too precious to .be hazarded.”

Anno heard for the first time above the boating of the rain the lapping of wavelets on sand. Her terrors re,tnrood in full strength, she throw ’herself towards the door, but Brctby closed it again sharply, and went back to his scat beside the chauffeur.

“The tide has turned,” ho said., “Wo can cross—wo must cross; there’s' nought else to bo done. I’m not afraid; and I believe that I can say the same of you.” “Monsieur can rest assured that I have no fear,” replied L’Angellier. “Without doubt wo shall cross with safety.” (To bo continued.)